Archive for August, 2015

This fall we’re headed home to England to introduce the girlies to their Great Granny, Aunts and Uncles, and a trail of cousins.

This time of year is always a little tricky to pack for, somedays are scorchers while others have you dragging an umbrella around with you. So here are their 7 outfits for late summer/early fall!

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Which one is your fave?

Getting them all organized for fall is a big thing off my to-do list. I love pulling things out of storage that I bought last year on clearance and then filling in the holes with this years pre season sales.

Shopping for 2 is tricky on a strict budget.

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.Here are a few rules of thumb I tend to live by…

No. 1: Shop CLEARANCE even a year ahead. This is by far the best way to save money. Prices are slashed to at least 75% off. Osh Kosh, Polo Factory Stores and Nordstrom have the BEST return policy so keep your receipts and if they don’t fit when you need them to, return for full money back. Gap.com has the best deals around, BUT their return policy isn’t so great. I like to get basics there like tee’s and cardi’s, things I can layer and use any time of the year.

No.2: Have your own price points. For Bottoms $4, Tops $4, Dresses $8, Bows $2 (mostly make our own HERE), Shoes $20, Cardigans/Sweaters $10. These numbers work for me and I LOVE it when I beat them (which happens quite a lot)! Shoes can be found for a lot cheaper but I always go for really good quality so they HAVE to be bought ahead. I got tons of leggings last week at Target.com for $3 (HERE) on a buy one get one half off sale. It was perfect to stock up for fall. Basically full outfits are always under $20 (not including shoes). But even better, about half are under $10!

No. 3: If you love it, spurge. My splurge this season was the cream and black bow top from Janie and Jack (HERE) (Paid $30 with coupon!). It’s ridiculously cute and pricey, but paired with a pair of $3 leggings it helps balance out the price! Plus, it’s nice to bargain shop, but sometimes you must fall in love with a special item. My babies will only be this size this once, so it’s nice to indulge here and there and have them picture perfect!

No.4: Give and take hand-me-downs. This one has been a bit tricky for me since I like to dress my twins the same (way easier). But my family has a great collection of gently used clothes that go on lots of recipients. We all pledge to take care of things as best we can and it feels good to reuse things and give them new life on another lil cutie. I’d highly recommend teaming up with family members and friends who share your same ideals with clothes and get a good system going.

Her room has cream walls, a dark brown leather sectional and just felt a little dated.

With a next-to-nothing budget we brightened things up by adding more contrast by pulling black and white items from around the house.

Take a look:

.STEPS TO UPDATE A ROOM:

Change Throw PillowsSarah’s pillows were all monotone so it was a great start, all the couch needed was a little ‘punch’. These ones worked out perfectly, see HERE and HERE. Adding pattern and contrast is always a breath of fresh air!

Switch up ArtworkWe created the mini gallery wall by collecting unused black and white pieces from storage. Sarah had the silhouettes of the twins done at Disneyland and we popped them into $3 frames (HERE). To help bring the look together we painted basic circles onto a piece of card stock and hung with a skirt hanger. All these were attached with command strips, so they’ll be no nail holes when she’s ready to switch it up again!

Other existing frames got a fresh look by repositioning them. The brown frame in the entry, got a buddy by adding a one above it. This really made more of a feature and elevates the eye upward!

Add White!White is essential to brightening up any space. A simple $8 lack table HERE worked great next to the couch.

.The room is the main living area in the house and doubles as family room and formal living room. We feel we mastered the art of living with kids, without sacrificing design and feeling like a grown ups!

Paint is next, we’re just meditating over color. Any thoughts on what would look good?